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FrontRunners: Over the Moon

The Calibre DB-15, the latest offering from De Bethune (305.695.1435, +41.24.454.22.81, www.debethune.ch), features the company’s first movement conceived and crafted entirely in-house. This feat has enabled the young watch brand to achieve the coveted manufacture status. De Bethune has also applied for four different patents related to the DB-15’s design.

Technical Managing Director Denis Flageollet designed the watch with the goal of maintaining a constant transmission of power. To this end, the former protégé of Michel Parmigiani and F.P. Journe created a unique twin-barrel movement that produces a power reserve of “more than seven days,” says Flageollet, who acknowledges that testing has not been completed.

The inaugural model in the Calibre DB-15 series is the 43 mm Perpetual Calendar (about $66,000). However exciting the thought of an all-new movement is, the hook that undoubtedly will snare collectors is the watch’s moon phase, which is indicated by a rotating sphere instead of a flat disk. This future collectible will be issued in a limited edition of only 100 pieces.